Vibrator attachment for suction cleaner



Sept. 4, 1962 E. F. MARTINEC VIBRATOR ATTACHMENT FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 26, 1960 EWI.: iw 5 ATTORNEYS United tates 3,052,234 VIBRATUR ATTACHMENT FOR SUCTHON CLEANER Eugene F. Martnec, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor f o Health-Mor, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 26, 1960, Ser. No. 31,937 2 Claims. (Cl. 12s- 32).

This invention relates to a massaging device and more particularly it pertains to a vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner.

Due to the partial vacuum created by a suction cleaner, many attachments have been created for use with the cleaner in operation. That is particularly true with regard to the tank-type suction cleaner which is specifically adapted for use with attachments. Although most of such cleaners are provided with exhaust outlets so that some attachments can be used for blowing air, the primary basis for the use of attachments with a tank-type suction cleaner is for connection with the air inlet port through which a partial vacuum is created in the attachment.

Various devices have been made to operate in response to a partial vacuum including suction nozzles and brushes of many different shapes. Not all attachments have, however, operated primarily as suction cleaning nozzles. Some attachments have been provided with auxiliary means that operate in conjunction with and to facilitate the suction cleaning operation. For example, some brushes for cleaning rugs are provided with vibrators in the mouth of the brush for agitating the nap of the rug to loosen whatever dirt is lodged therein and cause the dirt to be drawn into the nozzle.

In addition, other air vibrated means have been used for other purposes in conjunction with the operation of a suction cleaner nozzle, such as an air operated diaphragm for opening and closing the air passage leading from the nozzle to the cleaner in order to vary the volume and speed of air passing therethrough.

Moreover, various types of vibrator attachments have been used from time to time in conjunction with a suction cleaner. Such vibrators have been unsatisfactory for many reasons including the requirements to adjust or manipulate the vibrator because of the lack of self-starting feature. Prior vibrators have also been objectionable because of their inconsistent vibrating characteristics due to varying frequencies because of variations in the cornposition of rubber used in some vibrators, and undue weight for easy handling. It has been found that the partial vacuum created in the suction cleaner can be used to actuate a reedoper ated vibrator which will cause an air hose to vibrate. The vibrations occurring in the hose are due to the variations in air pressure created by the vibrating reed. The vibrations are due to inertia (rather than resonance) incurred by variations in pressures or tensions occurring between the air in the hose and the stresses incurred in the reed.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide lan easily usable vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner which may be used in conjunction with the conventional attachment hose for massaging the operators body, etc.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner which is selfstarting and requires a minimum of adjustment;

It is another object of this invention to provide a vibrator attachment which is not bulky or weighty and has an appearance which is of satisfactory sales appeal.

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It is another object of this invention to provide a reedoperated vibrator having a vibration of consistent frequency.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner which accom- -plishes the foregoing objects and desiderata in a simple and effective manner.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims may be obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described difficulties overcome by the discoveries, principles, apparatus, parts, elements, combinations, and subcombinations which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of which-illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the vibrator attachment of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including a vibrator member and a vibrating reed; the vibrator member having a body portion and being provided with an air suction orifice; a cover for the body having air inlet openings formed therein. The vibrator attachment also includes a tubular portion extending outwardly and communicating with the orifice and being connectable with a suction cleaner air hose; the vibrating reed being a metallic resilient sheet-like member which is mounted at one end on the body, the other end of the reed extending over the orifice and being spaced therefrom and means for adjusting the spacing between the reed and the orifice.

By way of example, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

FIG. l illustrates the vibrator attachment of the present invention with a hose attached to a canister-type suction cleaner as might be used by an operator;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partially in cross section, with the hose attached;

FIG. -3 is a front elevation of the vibrator with the front cover removed;

FIG. 4 is .a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the vibrator taken on the line 4 4, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5, FIG. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, the vibrator attachment is generally indicated at 1, and includes a member or housing 2 and vibrating means `generally indicated at 3.

The housing 2 includes a body portion y4 and has a periphery flange 5 on one side thereof. An orifice 6 is located on the other side of the body. A housing cover S `is mounted by screws 7 on the flange 5. The cover 8 is a front plate-like member having several holes or openings 9 formed therein for the purpose of admitting incoming air as will be later described.

The body 4 includes a tubular portion 10 extending outwardly lfrom and communicating with the orifice. It is detachably mounted in suction means such as a hose which communicates with a suction cleaner suction inlet.

The vibrator means 3` includes a reed 11 which is mounted on the body portion 4 of the housing 2 by a Z- shape-d reed support 12 with rivets :13. The reed support 12 is secured on the back portion of the housing 2 by rivet 14.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the reed 11 extends substantially over the orifice 6 and is normally spaced from the orifice. A reed washer 15, formed preferably of a spongy material such as foam rubber is mounted on the portion of the reed 1v1 extending over the orice 6. An oriiice washer 16 is mounted on the body portion 4 and has an inside diameter corresponding with the diameter of the orice 6.

t When the suction cleaner 21 is operated, a partial vacnum is created in the hose 20. to which the attachment 1 is secured. The pressure in the tubular portion 10, being less than atmospheric pressure, moves the reed 11 toward the orice 6 to the position 17,`FIG. 2. The reed 11 which may be composed of resilient plastic ior ber material is preferably made of spring-tempered phosphor bronze, and is normally spaced or spring-biased from the orice 6 as indicated at position 15a in FIG. 2. At position 17, however, the resilient forces set up in the reed overcome the atmospheric pressure exerted upon the reed 11 and the reed springs away from the orifice 6 to a position lgenerally indicated at 18. Again the resilient forces in the reed, together with the atmospheric pressure, re-

` turn the reed back to the position 17. Oscillation or vibration of the reed is thereby initiated by inertia. During oscillation, air enters the housing through the openings 9 and through the orifice 6 to the vacuum cleaner.

Moreover, an adjustment screw 19 is provided for positioning the reed 11 in proper relation to the orice 6 for most efficient vibration. Adjustments may be necessary due to variations inline voltage as well as in characteristics of individual suction cleaners. Amplitude vibration of the reed may also be controlled by the screw 19.

An operator desiring to use the vibrator attachment of the present `invention would attach the vibrating mechanism to a suitable hose 20 which is connected to means for creating a partial vacuum such as a canister-type suction cleaner 21. The reed -11 in the housing 2 is set into motion and the vibration of the reed transmits the vibration along through the hose 20. An operator may then massage various parts of his body with the hose having the vibrator attached as illustrated in FIG. l of the drawing. The washers 15 and 16, being preferably composed of sponge rubber, primarily minimize the noise -which might be otherwise created by the reed striking the housing 2. The washers also serve a secondary function of controlling air leakage between the reed and the orifice.

The Washer 1S and Washer 16, however, are not essential to the operation of the present invention, but are desirable for the purposes set out above.

t The hose which is to be used in conjunction with the vibrating mechanism of the present invention may be any type of hose or even a rigid tube but preferably is of the form illustrated in FTG. 2. As is shown, a helically or spirally wound wire 22 is covered with an air-tight fabric material 23.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a new vibrating attachment for use with a suction means such as a suction cleaner which oscillates at a constant frequency, which is of a self-starting nature, which is easily attached and detached from the suction cleaner, which is inexpensive in construction, which is light -in weight and may be manufactured to have great sales appeal, and which i11- corporates the new and useful features herein described that overcome the prior art diculties indicated and serves a need long standing in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way 'of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construcion.

Having now `described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A vibrator attachment for a suction cleaner including a vibrator body, the body being rigid and having an orice yand having a tubular portion extending from the body, the tubular portion communicating With the orice, vibrator means on the body, the means including a sheetlike reed having one end mounted on the body and having another end extending to a position over and normally spaced from the orifice, means for mounting the reed on the ybody including a Z-shaped offset reed support having one Z-leg mounted on the body and having the other Z- leg connected to said one end of the reed, the vibrator means also including a reed washer composed of a resilient material and mounted on said other end of the reed, the reed washer having a diameter slightly greater than that of the orifice, suction means communicating with the tubular portion, and a flexible hose connecting the suction means to the tubular portion, whereby operation of the suction cleaner creates alternate pulses of partial and atmospheric pressure due to vibrations of the reed washer on the orifice which vibrations are transmitted to and along the llexible hose.

2. The vibrator attachment as defined in claim 1 in which adjustment screw means are mounted bebtween the body and reed for controlling amplitude vibration of the reed.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,034,260 Lichtenberg July 30, 1912 1,141,373 Behm .Tune 1, 1915 2,031,957 Karlstrom Feb. 25, 1936 2,655,146 Force Oct. 13, 1953 2,951,257 Bodine Sept. 6, 1960 

